Most of the background on this article can be covered in a piece I wrote more than a year ago. The summary of the article was, "NBC is making a mistake." And they did. And they're doing it again. Moving Conan O'Brien to 12:05 or kicking him out altogether is like putting a band-aid on an axe wound. If it were up to me (and thank God it isn't) here's how I'd fix late night television at NBC.
The Tonight Show
Leave the Tonight Show and Conan O'Brien exactly where they are. Unlike Jay Leno, Conan brings enthusiasm and an ability to invent and create new things to late night. Leno created "Jay Walking" and "Headlines" and that's it. I dare you to name another reoccuring bit he brought to late night.
And just as his first year as the host of Late Night proved, Conan needs time to build an audience. Arguably, he's doing more innovative stuff than he was at Late Night. He's in a tough position of trying to push the envelope at an earlier time period, but I feel like he's managed to walk that thin line very well. As an ardent Letterman supporter (and former employee), I vowed never to watch the Tonight Show while Leno was hosting. And yet, there have been many nights that I'll switch the channel to see the hijinks and hilarity that Conan is serving up. And, truthfully, I haven't been disappointed yet.
Moving Conan's show to 12:05 will only dilute his lead-in. Who wants to watch one host for half an hour only to then switch to another later in the evening? You're asking too much of a viewer. There's a significant drop-off of viewers from the Tonight Show to Late Night, and adding another "partial" show before the Tonight Show will only prove to kill Conan's rating further. (To say nothing of the effect it'll have on Late Night's ratings).
Leave Conan where he is. Give him time. Let viewers find him. See how his ratings change without the ratings suck that is the Jay Leno Show at 10pm.
The Jay Leno Show
I watched the Kanye West and Jerry Seinfeld show. That's it. And it was out of curiosity that I managed to stay through the whole thing. It was a mistake to create the Jay Leno Show. I understand that NBC didn't want to lose Conan, but they should have figured out something else to do with Jay. I understand there's a cross-section of America who genuinely finds Jay entertaining (though, according to ratings and affiliates, they don't find him entertaining at 10pm). What NBC should have done was given Jay his own show at 11:35 on Friday nights. Give Conan Monday-Thursday and let the Jay Leno Show air on Fridays in its place. That way, they appease the affiliates, they don't lose either host, and they have room at 10pm to air hour-long dramas.
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Anyone who is watching television past 1 o'clock in the morning is either looking for porn, on drugs, or feeding a screaming toddler. Starting a show at that time is like flipping the switch on the electric chair. Fallon's show isn't awful. You can practically see the sweat on his brow from trying so hard to make it work. It's definitely innovative and there are some genuinely funny moments. I think they only thing that needs to change is for Fallon to relax a little bit, get into the role more, and start having a good time. Moving him later in the night will only freak him out more, make him more uncomfortable, and begin the unraveling of the show.
So that's my plan. I'm not sure why Jay insists on sticking around. He's got more than enough cash, and he's proved he can make it work at 11:30. There's honestly nothing left for him to do. If he still has a desire to be on television, give him the Friday night spot. But don't treat Conan like a lesser-Jay. You've already abused him more than a man of his talent should be pushed around. Let the audiences come, even if it takes longer than you'd like. But screwing around with time schedules will only lead to more and more harried and confused viewers - one thing I wouldn't want were I trying to build back an audience.
Leave the Tonight Show and Conan O'Brien exactly where they are. Unlike Jay Leno, Conan brings enthusiasm and an ability to invent and create new things to late night. Leno created "Jay Walking" and "Headlines" and that's it. I dare you to name another reoccuring bit he brought to late night.
And just as his first year as the host of Late Night proved, Conan needs time to build an audience. Arguably, he's doing more innovative stuff than he was at Late Night. He's in a tough position of trying to push the envelope at an earlier time period, but I feel like he's managed to walk that thin line very well. As an ardent Letterman supporter (and former employee), I vowed never to watch the Tonight Show while Leno was hosting. And yet, there have been many nights that I'll switch the channel to see the hijinks and hilarity that Conan is serving up. And, truthfully, I haven't been disappointed yet.
Moving Conan's show to 12:05 will only dilute his lead-in. Who wants to watch one host for half an hour only to then switch to another later in the evening? You're asking too much of a viewer. There's a significant drop-off of viewers from the Tonight Show to Late Night, and adding another "partial" show before the Tonight Show will only prove to kill Conan's rating further. (To say nothing of the effect it'll have on Late Night's ratings).
Leave Conan where he is. Give him time. Let viewers find him. See how his ratings change without the ratings suck that is the Jay Leno Show at 10pm.
The Jay Leno Show
I watched the Kanye West and Jerry Seinfeld show. That's it. And it was out of curiosity that I managed to stay through the whole thing. It was a mistake to create the Jay Leno Show. I understand that NBC didn't want to lose Conan, but they should have figured out something else to do with Jay. I understand there's a cross-section of America who genuinely finds Jay entertaining (though, according to ratings and affiliates, they don't find him entertaining at 10pm). What NBC should have done was given Jay his own show at 11:35 on Friday nights. Give Conan Monday-Thursday and let the Jay Leno Show air on Fridays in its place. That way, they appease the affiliates, they don't lose either host, and they have room at 10pm to air hour-long dramas.
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Anyone who is watching television past 1 o'clock in the morning is either looking for porn, on drugs, or feeding a screaming toddler. Starting a show at that time is like flipping the switch on the electric chair. Fallon's show isn't awful. You can practically see the sweat on his brow from trying so hard to make it work. It's definitely innovative and there are some genuinely funny moments. I think they only thing that needs to change is for Fallon to relax a little bit, get into the role more, and start having a good time. Moving him later in the night will only freak him out more, make him more uncomfortable, and begin the unraveling of the show.
So that's my plan. I'm not sure why Jay insists on sticking around. He's got more than enough cash, and he's proved he can make it work at 11:30. There's honestly nothing left for him to do. If he still has a desire to be on television, give him the Friday night spot. But don't treat Conan like a lesser-Jay. You've already abused him more than a man of his talent should be pushed around. Let the audiences come, even if it takes longer than you'd like. But screwing around with time schedules will only lead to more and more harried and confused viewers - one thing I wouldn't want were I trying to build back an audience.
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Here you go NBC:
1. Is Arsenio still around?
2. How bout Alan Thicke?
3. Get The Situation or Pauly D or both and give them their own show and have them be drinking the whole time.
Conan only has one credible move left, and that's to jump to Fox. No viewer will sit through the remains of the Jay Leno show at 11:35 to wait for Conan. Moving the trash of Jay's show to 11:35 and cutting it to 30 mins won't make it any better. It will still be crap and and it won't be The Tonight Show.
Conan has to quit, take his pay off and start up with Fox and give Dave some decent competition. It makes Dave a much better showman.
Or Conan could go back to writing for SNL or the Simpsons. With the pay off from the network, he'd live comfortably anyway.
That is a really good idea. Jay's show will be the best it's ever been because he'll have a week to produce it. Conan shouldn't be moved for all of the reasons you've listed, and I'll bet that the Friday Tonight Show has the smallest audience (Conan's audience is younger, and the younger demographic tends not to watch a lot of Friday night television).
I truly hope that your idea finds its way to NBC.
This is a great idea, Echo! It'll give Grandma and her band of middle-aged, wannabe bikers something to do again on Friday nights.
I can't wait to reinstate Friday-night strip Bingo. The local talent were getting a little tired of Grandma losing on purpose. Sales were down and the tips were falling off.
I think you know what I'm sayin' ...
Fallon can't compete with Craig Ferguson in any dimension. Ferguson tours weekly, has a best-selling memoir and is so much more naturally funny than the other late show hosts, combined, that Jimmy doesn't stand a chance. Ferguson also beat Conan head to head in ratings, again, because he is funny and stays connected with his (widening) audience.
Leno is popular not because he's funny, but because he is affable. NBC should have figured out a long time ago that the people who tune into the Tonight Show are looking for sleepytime humor and a little gentle star-cuddling.
Innovative? That's for CBS.
Conan should head to ABC. Who watches that late night show? And it already has the younger audience built in.
Poor Jimmy Kimmel.
Hey NBC. Two words:
Pauly Shore.
Sheriff:
ROFLMFAO!
Conan looks like a skinny Johnny in that picture.....but nicer dressed.
He just released a statement to the press saying he wants out of his contract.
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/conan-obrien-says-he-wont-do-tonight-show-following-leno/
If Conan splits then you'd figure they'll give the whole hour to Leno.
BTW, I read Leno's book and thought it was some funny shit. None of that blue material.
This is all just a plot to clear the decks for a return of Chevy Chase and Magic Johnson to late night.
"I'm not sure why Jay insists on sticking around."
I don't know either. I'm not sure how old he is but he might feel too young to retire. Maybe he can't think of anything else to do.
When he was a stand up he was supposedly the hardest working guy around. He'd go anywhere, play any gig. Working on the Tonight Show might be the only place you want to work when you have his skill set...
BTW, if he had retired, would he have been welcome on Letterman, or does Dave really not like him anymore. They were big buds back in the day. So I read. (There's been a couple of good books on their era of comedy. Check out I'm Dying Up Here if you haven't already...)
One thing is for sure, Dave is loving this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msC3uu4KZbg